Agencies agree on Tyndall cleanup

Friday

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — Federal officials announced Friday they have cut a deal with the state to help clean up environmentally sensitive or contaminated areas at Tyndall Air Force Base.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — Federal officials announced Friday they have cut a deal with the state to help clean up environmentally sensitive or contaminated areas at Tyndall Air Force Base.

The U.S. Air Force, representing Tyndall, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have signed a federal facility agreement, a prerequisite to continue cleanup at the base.

Each of the entities will work in tandem to select a procedure for the base cleanup.

“They are going to look at everything across the board,” said Chad Starr of the U.S. Civil Engineer Center in San Antonio.

The engineer center gave no specifics regarding areas of cleanup or what type of contamination might be under scrutiny. The News Herald requested a copy of the agreement, but it had not been received by late Friday.

“The agreement signed today (Friday) covers cleanup of all known areas of contamination located within Tyndall Air Force Base … ,” Starr said. “The agreement also provides for the addition of areas of contamination that may be discovered in the future. The agreement will be made available to the public for their review and comment within 15 days.”

Starr said there already has been “remedial” cleanup on the base, but more work is on the horizon. Starr also said the agreement allows the environmental agencies to do more investigation on what may need to be done in the future.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act requires federal agencies to investigate and clean up contamination at their facilities.

Stan Meiburg, acting regional administrator for the EPA’s Southeast Region, which includes the Florida Panhandle, called the agreement a “milestone.”

“The agreement speaks to the commitment of the EPA, the Department of the Air Force, and the state of Florida to ensure protection of human health and the environment at Tyndall Air Force Base,” Meiburg said in a release issued Friday.

The DEP issued no statement regarding the agreement and did not return a request for comment.

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